


A Love Note In Steel

by littlesaintmick



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: M/M, background ambreigns, background mcmahons, fairy tale AU, i gotta be honest i don't know what the hell to tag this with, well it's kind of a fairy tale on its own but
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 01:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14683929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesaintmick/pseuds/littlesaintmick
Summary: there's a demon in the woods, and someone has to slay him.





	A Love Note In Steel

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom. The king and queen were wise and just, and they had a son-a prince, a future king, fair in look and in virtue. He was kind, and strong, and clever; the king and queen knew he’d one day be a ruler known through all the world. 

\---

Seth cried out and swung his sword, bringing it down against the thick tree stump. He’d only cut down a few, for practice, and he frowned at his sword. He’d need to sharpen it again. It’d belonged to his mother, and he treasured it, even more so now that she and his father were-well. It was his most prized possession. He turned to face his cousin. 

“How did I look?”

“Not too bad, Seth. You’re getting better. Quicker.”

Seth grabbed his long shirt off the ground, wiping the sweat from his face before pulling it back on. He walked back to the house, patting Bayley on the head as he passed. She was still too young to learn how to wield a proper sword, but she’d learned well with daggers and a small axe so far. He smiled as she followed him back to the house. 

Ever since his parents had passed, and then her parents, he’d been taking care of her. She was a sweet kid, and her consistent joy helped temper his seemingly ever-present anger. She even helped Seth with the land, what little of it they had left, having been forced to sell most of it. Though Seth would rather she focus on learning from the few books they had. He knew that would take her farther than working on their small farm. 

Seth carefully put up his sword, in the same place as always, before setting about making dinner. Bayley sat on the floor, near the window, the small cat they kept curled up next to her. They didn’t have much to eat, but he’d make sure she got enough. He had to. 

There was a knock at the door, and both of them looked at the door, then each other. Seth grabbed one of the kitchen knives and held it against his arm, ready to turn it on whoever was at the door, if need be. 

Seth sighed in relief when he saw that it was just Jason. 

“Have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“Hi, Jason!”

Jason grinned at Bayley and waved. 

“Hi! The king’s announcement? Everyone is talking about it!”

Seth went back to preparing dinner and shrugged. 

“I haven’t been to town lately. What happened?”

Jason was almost buzzing with excitement. 

“The king is holding-I guess auditions, kind of. He’s looking for a hero to slay….. _ him _ .”

Seth froze. 

“The Demon?”

“Yeah.”

Seth swallowed, hands shaking a bit, and he thought of the sword, carefully set next to his bed. 

“Are you going to-go try out?”

“No, my father said I couldn’t. But….I thought you’d be perfect for it.”

Seth raised an eyebrow at Jason, who shrugged. 

“You’re the best fighter I’ve ever seen. And you’re smart and strong, and you could totally do it. There’s a big reward, too.”

Seth paused in chopping up a potato.

“....What kind of reward?”

“Money, I think. Also prestige, I guess, and possibly a knighthood.”

Seth felt a tug on his sleeve, and turned, facing Bayley. 

“You should try!”

Seth frowned. 

“I don’t….I don’t think that would be-”

“Come on, Seth! You’re the smartest, strongest guy I know, and with your mom’s sword, I know you could do it! And think of what you could do with a knighthood!”

Seth looked down at his cousin, her eyes bright and shining, for a long moment, and sighed. He couldn’t help but smile a little. 

“I’ll go into town tomorrow, and-I’ll see what’s going on. I can’t guarantee anything. But I’ll try.”

Bayley wrapped her arms around him, and he held her for a moment. Jason let out a happy yell before wrapping his arms around the both of them, lifting them and spinning them in a circle. Seth laughed and wormed his way out of his friend’s grip, shaking his head as Jason and Bayley ran around the house, happy and joyful as ever. 

\---

Seth crossed his arms over his chest, looking around at the men gathered in a group. There were men from all over the kingdom here, some he recognized, some he didn’t. There were poor men, like himself, but he could tell from some of their clothes that some were from the higher class. One in particular stood out-he was a well known fighter and warrior, from a rich family. He even had his own personal announcer. 

Seth sighed. He didn’t expect much to come of this, but he promised to try. His sword was at his hip, and the weight was comforting. 

There was a bit of a commotion, and Seth watched as two guards-knights, really, who couldn’t have been much older than himself-one with wild red hair and a similar aura about him, the other with long, black hair, bigger and quieter, walked out of the front of the castle, followed by the prince and princess, and then the king. He was an old man now, though Seth remembered what he looked like years ago. 

The king stood on the platform in front of the group of men, who all had gone silent. 

“The Demon who lives outside our kingdom has taken too much from us. Before I am gone, I want to cement my legacy, and finally have that bastard wiped from the face of this earth. I am holding this contest to see which of you is man enough to kill that demon bastard.”

The prince stepped up, explaining the rules-it wouldn’t be a tournament so much as a battle royale, all of them fighting until one was left standing. It didn’t seem like the safest way to go about things, but if that’s how it was gonna be, then...well. Seth did promise to try. The prince had also specified that no lethal force was to be used, which comforted Seth a bit. He’d rather not meet his maker because of this, of all things. 

The king and his children took seats in the fine thrones on the platform, and the two knights began circling the area, likely keeping a watch for anyone breaking the ‘lethal force’ rule. Seth watched them for a moment-they were odd, those two-until the king called for them to start. 

Seth didn’t throw himself into the fray immediately; he watched, fighting off anyone who came near him. He didn’t think being the aggressor would be the best tactic, so he just kept watching, circling, knocking a few people out if they presented an immediate threat. Some people went down easily and quickly, some forfeited. Seth came face-to-face with two large men, one with lots of dark hair and a bushy, dark beard, and the other with no hair on the top of his head, but a long, long red beard. 

It wasn’t hard to take them down, even with their size and number advantage. Seth threw himself into it, now, focusing on nothing but beating whoever was in front of him. 

At least two hours had passed until Seth and one other man stood; it was him and the upper class man, whose announcer or advocate or whatever was screaming on the sidelines. Seth tuned it out. He gripped his sword in one hand, letting the feeling of smooth metal against his palm sooth him. The other man was bigger than him, and looked vastly meaner. He was wielding an axe, a big one, and Seth considered his options. 

Losing wasn’t one, but he could see that the man was a little disoriented. He’d probably been hit on the head one too many times, something Seth had avoided as much as possible, and Seth moved quickly. He kicked at the other man’s knee, then his right arm-he clearly favored that arm, which was stupid, in Seth’s opinion. He swerved around the man until he was behind him, hitting him in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Seth had been hit like that before, and it hurt like a son of a bitch. It had the expected result; the man dropped his axe, and Seth kicked it out of the way before knocking the man to his knees, bringing his foot down on the back of his head to knock him all the way to the ground. 

He stood on the axe with one foot, his sword pointed at the man on the ground. Just in case. Seth only looked up when he heard clapping. The king and his two children were applauding him. Seth glanced at the two knights-they were quietly speaking to each other, their shields held up to mask their mouths. He could still see that their eyes were trained on him, though.

The king stood and the other man left the little arena, angry and swearing. Seth ignored him and looked to the king. 

“Very nice, young man. What’s your name?”

“Seth Rollins.”

“Seth Rollins, would you like to kill a demon?”

Seth didn’t avert his gaze from the king’s. 

“Yes, I would.”

\---

He had a week before he left. Jason and his family had immediately offered to take Bayley in while he was gone, and Seth thought about the upcoming journey as he sat with her, helping her with something in a book. She seemed...less enthusiastic than usual. 

“You worried about me?”

“Yeah.”

Seth smiled and kissed the top of her head. 

“I’ll be fine, Bayley. And you love staying with Jason’s family, you’re gonna have a great time, and before you know it, I’ll be back.”

“He’s dangerous.”

Seth frowned. He knew that, everyone did; the Demon was fierce and murderous and evil, living out in the woods and coming into the kingdom occasionally to maim or kidnap people. No one knew quite what he did with them once they were gone, but none ever came back. Of course, there were also rumors of a cult founded in his name, and people speculated that members of the cult were the ones actually responsible for the maimings and disappearances; the assumption being that those people were being sacrificed for the Demon. 

“He may be dangerous, but you know me. I can kill him.”

Bayley was still quiet, and Seth sighed and pulled her closer. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he felt very old at that moment. 

“Seth?”

“Yeah?”

“What….what if…”

“What if what?”

“What if everyone is wrong about him?”

Seth sat up straighter, brows furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, I guess...what if he’s not actually evil? And then you end up killing him even though he’s never done anything wrong?”

“What makes you think that’s even a possibility?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just like to think maybe he’s not evil, and there’s not some evil scary demon living in the wild. Maybe he’s just lonely.”

“He should be lonely, Bayley. He’s a monster.”

He knew his cousin was frowning, and he sighed, kissing the top of her head again. He stood and went to the small kitchen, unwrapping something he’d bought with a bit of the money the king had given him in advance. Seth walked back over to Bayley and held the small package in front of her. 

“I brought you something.”

Bayley’s eyes widened and she grinned, her bright, happy smile warming Seth’s heart-even as he worried that this would be one of the last times he ever saw it. 

“You got cake!”

“Yup. Just for you, kid.”

Seth ruffled her hair, and she broke off half and handed it to him. He took it and they ate, going back to working on the reading.

\---

The two knights didn’t speak much as they led Seth to the edge of the kingdom. The king had sent them to send him off, and he hadn’t learned anything about them. They seemed happy to just walk in silence, though Seth noticed them looking at each other occasionally, seemingly speaking without words. 

They came to the border, marked with a small line of stones. Seth took a deep breath, and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw the bigger knight looking at him, deep, brown eyes….worried?

“You have to be careful.”

The redhead glared at Seth. 

“There’s a lot out there that they don’t know about.”

“You’ll be fine.”

“As long as you think for yourself.”

They talked as though they were one voice expressed in two bodies, and it was….odd. Seth noticed thin rings around both of their fingers, wrists, and necks. Iron. Seth looked into both of their eyes and nodded.

“I will.”

“Remember to breathe.”

“Remember to think.”

“Be safe.”

The last statement was spoken in eerie unison, and they both backed away, turning to make their way back. Seth saw them join hands a ways down the path, and Seth watched them. The iron rings, how in-sync they were with each other, it all confirmed to him that they weren’t human.

Oh well. Seth didn’t have any problem with the Folk. He knew how to keep on their good side, and he didn’t really have a problem with any creatures or magic users. Witches, the Folk, as long as they didn’t mess with him or his family, he had no reason to hold grudges against them. The only one he didn’t like was the Demon. 

Though he felt a little bad for the knights. The iron meant they likely weren’t there by choice. He wondered how the king had managed to capture two creatures as powerful as they likely were. 

Seth stepped over the border and into the wild. He had to bring back proof of the demon’s death, and he had no problem with bringing back his head. He began walking through the woods, one hand resting comfortably on the hilt of his sword. Seth enjoyed the woods, the few times he’d been out to them. He’d never gone this far, always having been warned to stay within the border of the kingdom. But...it was quiet, here, and peaceful. Everything was green and dense with growth. He cut a few plants along the way, ones he could use for medicine or in food, stuffing them into one of the pockets of his bag.

Seth kept walking, wanting to get as far along as he could before he had to sleep. Which was pretty damn far; he had to walk everywhere anyway, and was used to going back and forth in the fields for hours a day. It was well into the night by the time he settled down, finding a tree with thick, sturdy branches, and climbing it. He settled onto a particularly big branch, tying himself to it. He ate some of the food he’d brought before pulling out the small blanket Bayley had given him, wrapping it around his chest and closing his eyes. 

\---

Seth stared into the fire, occasionally turning the rabbit carcass until it was cooked all the way through. He didn’t particularly like rabbit, but he was good at catching them and they were edible. Seth had learned a long time ago not to argue good food when it was available. 

He picked at the meat, eating what he could. Seth had cut out some of the organs before cooking it, setting them in a little pile on a rock. It was good to offer things up to the wild, you never knew who or what was expecting payment. 

He didn’t keep the fire going for longer than it took to cook the rabbit; fires drew attention, and it was warm in the wild anyway. It wasn’t quite summer, but it was no longer winter, either. Seth had made good progress over the past few days, making his way deeper into the wild. There had been no sign of the Demon, but he’d heard-around town, and more recently, whispered in the trees at night, that the Demon shacked up in the ruins of an old temple further in the wild. It would be a few more days before he reached it, and he took the time to mentally prepare himself. 

He’d always suspected that the Demon had been responsible for his family dying. Seth hadn’t ever made that suspicion public, but he thought about it often. He couldn’t think of anything else that would have caused it, that would have caused him to have to raise his cousin, sell his family’s land, explain to Bayley how her parents were-

Seth shook his head. He needed to save that anger. 

There were still plenty of hours of daylight left, and he finished eating, making sure to cover his tracks, and headed out once more. 

\---

It occurred to Seth that it should not be this dark, even this deep into the wilds, in the middle of the afternoon. It was a little disorienting, honestly; he knew in his head that it was the middle of the day, but there was a creeping sort of darkness. And not just darkness like when the sun set. It was heavy, like the night air in summer, but concentrated. Seth had never known the air could be so thick, while still being so hot. It got warmer the deeper into the wild he walked, but not the natural warmth of a spring day. 

It was hot like fire, like a forge. 

Seth pulled a cloth out of his bag and wet it with water, tying it around his face. It helped, it was slightly easier to breath, then, but he had to take his shirts off. 

A mile more, and he could see the air itself getting darker, like he was walking through smoke. Seth saw a collapsed statue, then another. Crumbling steps, and bits of stone, some marked as graves. 

He was close.  _ He _ was close.

Seth took a deep breath-it was harder, the air tasted off and was so goddamn thick-and kept going, pushing through. He kept one hand on his sword, steady and focused. Seth wouldn’t let this scare him. 

The smoke-or maybe not smoke, exactly, became denser, and Seth felt a thrill go down his spine. He couldn’t see a thing, but he heard a quiet humming. Whispers, too, but the humming soon turned to vocalizations, a wordless song, and it was...beautiful, if Seth was being honest. 

He couldn’t tell how far he walked through the dense smoke, he could’ve been going in circles for all he knew. 

And then the air suddenly cleared. It was like he’d broken through a wall of black, dense smoke in the air, and his eyes widened. 

The ruins of the temple. They were old, by centuries, and sat at the top of the stairs, in a throne carved right into the stone, was the Demon. 

Seth hadn’t been sure what he expected the Demon to look like, but...he was a little surprised, as he stared up at him. He was the size of an average man-maybe even a bit shorter-thin, with defined muscles, a black substance coating the upper half of his body with streaks of red and white in a design of some sort. He wore tattered pants, and nothing else. His hair was short, and Seth met his gaze. 

He almost jumped when he realized the Demon was in fact staring at him, but he kept his resolve. 

“What are you doing here?”

Seth blinked at the sound of the Demon’s voice. Deep, accented, but...human. 

“I’ve been sent to kill you.”

The Demon raised an eyebrow. 

“Really? By who?”

“The king.”

The Demon scoffed, moving to sit properly in the chair, facing Seth. He was fast, Seth’s mind had trouble actually realizing that he’d moved. 

“Oh, isn’t that a wonder? The king sends a young man off to the woods to face the scary, evil Demon, sends a young man off to  _ die _ ! How very like him!”

Seth swallowed and gripped his sword tighter. 

“I’m not gonna lose to you.”

The Demon stared at him for a moment, before standing. He was impressive to look at, Seth had to admit. 

“Well, young hero-slayer of demons, as I’m sure they’ll call you upon your return-before I so  _ inevitably _ reach my end, may I tell you a story about your  _ ‘king’ _ ?”

Seth frowned-both at the sarcasm in the Demon’s voice and the statement overall, but he nodded. The Demon tilted his head back, taking in a deep breath. Seth could see bits of miasma and smoke rolling off of his body, and understood why the air was so different here. 

“Once upon a time, there was a king, and a queen. They became royalty through appointment-they had a fair and just kingdom, they did what they could for all of their people. No one was truly poor, and no one was truly rich, under their rule. And they had a son. He was to be the king one day, and he spent his whole life learning how to rule with and for his people. It was his passion. He loved it, he loved and adored his kingdom and everyone in it.”

Seth didn’t loose his grip on his sword, but he did step back a little. The Demon sounded….almost sad. 

“One day, when the prince was just a boy-not even of sixteen years-a man came. He was young, and vile, and he wormed his way into the court, into the king and queen’s most trusted-and he killed them. He overthrew them and murdered them himself, and declared himself the king. The prince saw it all, but there was something the new king didn’t know.”

The Demon had started walking towards him, making his way down the grand stairs-his body moved like wind and water, and it was almost hypnotizing.

“There was a curse on the prince. A curse and a blessing, really. If the crown was ever stolen from him, another part of him would emerge. A demon’s spirit, tied intrinsically to him, to his soul-always a part of him-would emerge, and he’d live as that demon until he was given his crown back. For more than fifty years, I’ve lived in these wilds, my kingdom just out of my grasp, ruled over by the man that  _ STOLE IT FROM ME _ !”

The miasma became unbearably thick, the smoke moving in once again, and Seth choked, unable to breathe through it. He heaved and struggled for air, dropping to his knees. 

The Demon stood in front of him and took a deep breath, spreading his arms out. The air cleared with the movement, and Seth stared up at him, still trying to catch his breath, any breath at all.

“You want to kill me? You can’t. The Demon never dies. I’ve been here so long, hero. Confined to these ruins, my kingdom stolen and failing. He’s destroyed everything my family worked for. And you want to kill me.”

Seth growled and stood, keeping his eyes on the Demon’s black ones. 

“That doesn’t-that doesn’t excuse you killing innocent people-”

The Demon tilted his head. 

“I’ve never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

“Did my family deserve it?”

The Demon tilted his head again, and reached up to his forehead. Seth watched as the Demon did something grotesque: he pulled an  _ eye _ out of his forehead, holding it out to Seth. 

“Take it. Find the truth.”

Seth panted, the air still thick and uncomfortable to breathe in, but he took the eye. It looked directly at him, and his mind was suddenly overtaken by images. 

His parents. His aunt and uncle, too. They were being led by royal guards, out to the border-why would royal guards be doing that? The images kept flowing, and Seth felt his blood run cold as he saw the guards stab his family to death, burying their bodies in-Seth could only think of it as a mass grave, bodies in various states of decay. The images suddenly stopped, and Seth hadn’t realized he’d fallen to his knees again, and he only now felt the streaks of wet tears running down his face. He looked down at the eye in his hand. It somehow looked sympathetic, and the Demon plucked it out of his hand, pressing it back into his forehead. 

“That king of yours lies. He’s killed many of my people for no reason. I don’t know why your family was killed. But I’m sorry that they were. He’s taken much from both of us, hasn’t he?”

Seth couldn’t bring himself to speak. He’d thought for so long that there was no other possibility, it had to have been the Demon, but-the king being the culprit made sense. Seth stared up at him, tears still streaming down his face. The Demon sighed and kneeled in front of him. 

“Rest, hero. You need it.”

The Demon made a strange hand gesture and pressed his fingers to Seth’s forehead, and Seth immediately fell into a deep, deep sleep. 

\---

Seth woke up slowly, the sound of that same wordless song echoing around him. He blinked a few times, unsure of where he was. He sat up and looked around, and spotted the Demon, but...he wasn’t the Demon. 

The black and red and white that’d covered his body was gone, and he was fully clothed. He looked….normal. Like someone Seth would’ve seen out and about in town. The Demon turned to him and smiled, and-oh, wow. That was a hell of a smile. He’d been stirring something in a pot over a fire, and he put some of it into a bowl, walking over to where Seth laid and kneeling next to him. 

“Hello. You slept through the night, how are you feeling?”

Seth was a little speechless, and the Demon’s cheeks flushed. 

“I have a few moments-there are a few times a day where I’m this me, and not...that me. I won’t stay like this for much longer, now, but I was hoping to meet you before I became that me again.”

“So-wait-you’re the Demon?”

“I’d say it’s more that the Demon is me. The Demon is….inside of me, a part of me, a side of me. But that’s not who I am. My name is Finn. The rightful heir to the throne.”

Seth stared at him. Finn’s eyes were clear and big, and stunning. Finn ducked his head away and handed Seth the bowl.

“It’s nothing much, but I thought you’d like to eat. You’re in my home, in the inner part of the temple. Feel free to stay, though I might get a bit….aggressive, when I’m that other me.”

Seth nodded. He was having some trouble comprehending….every single thing that had happened in the past day, and he had so many questions, but his brain insistently refused to form any of them. He took the bowl of food and began eating. At least he could focus on that. He watched as the Demon-as Finn moved about the little living space, humming and singing and tidying up. 

Seth considered the man and all that he’d been told. He thought about what the eye had shown him. 

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

Finn turned and looked at Seth. 

“Why would I?”

“Keep me from killing you.”

Finn shrugged. 

“I’ve no reason to fear your sword. Even in the moments where I’m this me, you couldn’t do a damn thing to hurt me. I only want people to know the truth. I-”

Finn took a deep breath, his eyes flicking between black and the bright, clear blue-gray. 

“I just want my crown back. I want to help my people, like I was meant to.”

Finn stood and headed to the door-Seth assumed it led out into the rest of the temple. 

“I’m going to be the Demon again soon. Please, make yourself at home. I likely won’t be back for a while. You can leave whenever you wish.”

Finn left and Seth finished his food, still thinking about….all of this. He supposed he could trust Finn’s word. If there really was nothing Seth could do to hurt him, then Finn really did have no reason to sit and lie to him. Though it did make Seth wonder if the king knew that the Demon was unkillable, and if so….if he’d ever sent anyone else. 

It was something he’d have to ask Finn. Or the Demon. Whichever one he saw next. 

Seth put away his bowl and decided to explore a little. Finn had said to make himself at home, and while Seth had no plans to pry anywhere, he didn’t see a problem with just...looking around. 

The living space was filled with little trinkets and crafts, animal skins and containers of food, jars of herbs and dried flowers and seeds. It felt….cozy. It was warm, too, and Seth decided to go shirtless. There was no one around, he didn’t see why he had to, though he kept his sword with him. Seth made his way out of the living space, into the large open room. They were underground, that was clear enough, and there were multiple other doors around the room. He debated opening them all, just to see what the Demon might have hidden away, but….it didn’t feel right. The Demon had really shown him nothing but kindness, opening his home to him, and rooting through his personal belongings seemed like it would be rude.

Seth made his way to the steps that led back to the surface, and looked around. The wall of smoke was invisible from this side, and that was clever, of the Demon. Of Finn. Seth wondered if Finn had a preference on what to be called. 

“Looking for something?”

Seth jumped a little, looking up at the voice. Finn-once again covered in black and red and white, smoke and black air billowing off of his skin-was crouching on a broken pillar, high in the air. Seth swallowed and licked his lips. 

“No, I was just…looking around a little.”

The Demon slid down the pillar, wind and water again, and sauntered up to Seth, circling him. 

“Why’d you come here?”

“I told you why.”

“No, you told me who sent you. You didn’t tell me why you, you specifically, wanted to do this.”

Seth rubbed his thumb over the hilt of his sword. 

“I thought…..I’d always thought you were responsible for my family’s deaths. I-one day they were just gone, and the guards told me-I was young and trusted them. I’ve had to raise my cousin ever since, and-it’s been hard. I thought...I don’t know. I guess-it’s stupid, now that I think about it, but I really did think killing you...I guess a part of me thought that would bring them back somehow.”

The Demon kept circling him. 

“You wanted revenge.”

Seth nodded. 

“Don’t you?”

The Demon stopped in front of him and frowned, the miasma coming off of him thickening. Pulsing veins shot through the black of his eyes. 

“I don’t want revenge. I want justice. For myself, for my family, for my people. There is a difference.”

Seth’s gaze didn’t waver. He nodded, and the Demon soothed a little. 

“I know. I’m being honest. I didn’t want justice.”

“Do you now?”

Seth tilted his head. 

“What do you mean?”

“Knowing what really happened-what the eye showed you, what I’ve told you-do you want justice now?”

Seth thought for a moment. Did he? Did he want justice? Or did he still just want revenge? He felt the same anger he’d always felt, he felt the same drive, only it was directed at the king instead of the Demon. But...what had happened to Finn made him angry, too. He felt the same anger and drive on his behalf, though he knew he couldn’t understand what Finn had gone through. He wanted blood. He wanted to see Finn take his rightful place. He wanted to live happily back home with his cousin, and he wanted to find his parents’ bodies and give them a proper burial. 

“Can I want both?”

The Demon grinned, teeth sharp and a little bloody. 

“Yes, you can.”

\---

Seth had been at the temple for almost a week. Once or twice each day, for varying amounts of time, Finn would come out, instead of the Demon. Seth enjoyed his time with Finn-the man was sweet and kind and smart, with an iron will and resolve to spare-and Seth had even grown fond of the Demon. Bayley had been right after all; the Demon did nothing wrong, and she’d been right about another thing. By Finn’s own admission, he was lonely. 

Seth was a little surprised at himself. He’d never had many romantic relationships; he’d always focused mostly on doing whatever he could to make sure his cousin had an at least semi-normal, happy childhood, and that took up most of his time. But Seth found himself thinking of Finn, of his smile and clear eyes and soft voice, and he caught himself smiling when he thought of him. Even the Demon had become appealing; aggressive and otherworldly and strong, the way he moved his body mesmerizing and fluid. He’d spent time with both parts of Finn, and he liked both of them. 

But he knew he couldn’t stay forever. Even as the voices around the temple whispered to him that it would be okay to, he needed to go home. He needed to make sure Bayley was safe, and he needed...he didn’t really know what he’d do when he got there, but he needed to do something. 

Seth found the Demon up in the throne at the front of the temple, sitting horizontal on it just like when Seth had first seen him. He was like something out a painting, he was stunning, the miasma standing out against the stark white marble of the throne. Seth stood beside the throne and looked out into the wilds.

“I have to go back.”

“I know.”

“What….what do I do? What can I do?”

The Demon looked at him, black eyes fond. Even though his eyes were as dark as the soot on his skin and his teeth and nails were sharp as knives like this, he could still look fond. Seth felt his cheeks flush. 

“What do you want to do?”

“I wanna kill the king.”

The Demon quirked an eyebrow up. 

“Do you really?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“For what he’s done. He’s killed people. He took your home from you. He’s ruined the entire kingdom, and-I want you to get your crown back. I know you deserve it, Finn. A damn lot more than he does. I want the kingdom to be a safe place for my cousin to live. I-if the king decided she had to-I don’t know what I’d do. I can’t let that happen.”

The Demon stood. He held his hand out to Seth, and Seth didn’t hesitate to take it, and the Demon gestured for him to kneel in front of the throne. Seth easily handed the Demon his sword-his mother’s sword, his most prized possession-and the Demon unsheathed it, holding it up, before pressing it to Seth’s left shoulder, while Seth bowed his head.

“Seth Rollins, I hereby declare you as my champion. You will be the King-slayer, and I bestow upon you the honor of bringing justice to our home and our people, and to me. Do you accept the responsibility?”

He pressed the sword to Seth’s right shoulder, and then the top of his head as he spoke, and Seth looked up once he was done. He took the sword back, in his hand, the weight comfortable and familiar. 

“I do.”

“Are you prepared to fight in my name?”

“I do.”

“Do you accept me as your future king?”

Seth licked his lips. 

“I do.”

The Demon smiled. 

“We leave at dawn.”

\---

Finn stopped Seth right as they reached the border. He reached out, gripping Seth’s hand between both of his. Seth stepped closer to Finn, staring into his clear eyes. He truly did love Finn’s eyes. 

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“I am. I want to. I want-I want this, I want to help our people. And….I want to help you.”

Finn licked his lips, and Seth watched the action closely. Seth reached up with his other hand, and cupped Finn’s cheek, and they looked at each other for a long moment. 

“Seth, I-I’ll be the Demon very soon, I have to be-no matter which me I am, I care for you, I want-once this is over-”

“I want that, too. But….we have to do this first. I know.”

Finn closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Seth’s, squeezing Seth’s hand. When he opened his eyes, they were black once more, and Seth could smell the familiar smoke that accompanied the Demon at all times. It no longer choked him, or made him feel sick. 

“I’ll go in first.”

“I’ll be right behind you.”

Seth looked at Finn for one more long moment, and turned, walking towards the road leading directly to the town, to the castle. People called out his name as he passed them, from the more rural area to the urban, walking along the road with a purpose. He didn’t stop for anyone. He couldn’t. He had to get to the king. The sky above him darkened, and he knew the Demon would be here soon. 

Seth reached the castle, the guards moving to stop him, before lightning struck down in front of them. They backed off after that, and Seth entered the castle. It was the middle of the day, but the skies were almost black, now, the air heavy and hot. Seth didn’t mind it. Not anymore. 

The king was sitting in the throne room, doused in his opulence. The prince and princess were there, too, and Seth hoped they’d leave before he did what he had to do. He didn’t want anyone to see their parents die, no matter how necessary it might be. The two knights-iron rings still present on their body-stood on either side of the king’s throne, watching Seth steadily. The king stared at him, frowning, clearly disappointed. 

“Seth! We’d almost given up hope, you were gone for so long.”

“I had a lot to do.”

The king leaned forward, eager now, and Seth didn’t let his expression change. 

“Where’s his head?”

Seth pulled his sword out, and the knights raised their eyebrows. 

“Right where it should be.”

Seth took a fighting stance, and the grand doors behind him blasted open, the various other people in the room screaming at the sudden noise. The heat entered immediately, and Seth could feel Finn’s presence, the air heavy and heady and comforting, almost. 

“Hello, Vince. Long time, no see.”

The king let an ounce of fear show on his face, and the knights stood in front of him. Seth turned when Finn was finally standing beside him, looking at him, and Finn tilted his head. He was staring at the knights, who’d both brought their shields up. 

“I remember you two.”

Seth watched the knights. They looked like they were in pain. 

“We remember.”

“We couldn’t forget.”

Finn-the Demon gasped, showing the most shock Seth had ever seen on his hellish visage. 

“You’re trapped.”

The knights stayed where they were, but glanced at each other. 

“....We can’t be free.”

“Not yet.”

“We-”

Their voice faltered, and Seth could see light glinting off of tears on their cheeks. 

“We want to be free.”

Finn held his hands up and brought them down, and Seth watched as the iron they wore disintegrated. The knights dropped their shields and looked at their hands and wrists, eyes wide. They almost glowed, and the looked at Finn. 

“Thank you! Oh-I can already-I’m free-”

The redhead turned to the bigger one, and they embraced. 

“Roman, we’re free, we-we have our names, I-we’re us again-”

“I love you, Dean-thank you, thank you so much-”

The last part was directed at Finn, and Seth could see the king’s face growing furious. He stood and the knights turned, and the king brought his hand up as if to hit them, but they suddenly disappeared, only to blink back into existence next to Seth. 

“No! Not anymore! You don’t own us anymore! The real king is home!”

Seth stepped forward. 

“You can step down. Abdicate peacefully and leave, and this will be done with. No one has to get hurt.”

The king snarled at him, and pulled his own sword. Seth thought back to one night, when Finn had explained that a good king shouldn’t need to carry a weapon.

“Never.”

The prince and princess made a move towards Seth, but were thrown against the wall by Finn’s invisible force. Dark chains of smoke held them to the wall, and Seth stepped closer to the king. 

“Why doesn’t your demon fight me, if he wants the crown back so badly!”

The room darkened, an unusual, deep red light taking over. The Demon’s voice was loud and booming, and Seth almost wanted to cover his ears. 

“You  _ KNOW WHY _ ! You stole my crown! You killed my family! And you did it knowing that I was unable to fight back against you! You cursed me with that, all those years ago! I may not be able to fight you, to rip your heart out and eat it, like I want to, but you sent a young man to die, but all he did was learn the truth, and now he seeks justice.”   
Seth easily knocked the king’s sword away, kicking him in the stomach, and the king fell back onto the throne. Seth held his sword up to the king’s chest, the tip tearing through his vestments. 

“You killed my family. I don’t know why. I don’t know what they did to you, but-you had my family murdered, and buried in a nameless grave with dozens of others-how could you do that to your own people?”

“Dad? What is he talking about?”

The princess’ voice was quiet. Seth heard Finn speak. 

“You two were unaware?”

“We-we both thought all those people...that it was you-it had to be you-”

Seth pressed his sword forward more. 

“Why! Why did you kill them?”

The king breathed heavily, staring defiantly at Seth. 

“They spoke ill of me. They didn’t want to pay their way. They should have followed my laws, and they would have been fine.”

Seth stared at the king in horror. That’s why his parents had been killed? Because they dared to criticize him, because they didn’t have enough to pay a tax? Seth steeled himself. 

“You won’t ever take anyone’s family away again.”

Seth pushed his sword forward, into the king’s chest, quickly. He couldn’t bring himself to draw it out, to make him suffer. He didn’t want that. 

The prince and the princess kneeled at the throne, holding their father’s hands as he bled. Seth stepped away; they deserved to have the last few moments of their father’s life. He turned and walked up to the Demon; smoke coming off of him in thick clouds, but he seemed...calmer. The air was no longer quite so hot, and Seth saw the two knights-Roman and Dean-holding each other close, kissing and speaking quietly. Seth kneeled in front of Finn and held his sword up to him in both hands. 

“It’s done. You can take the crown back.”

“You’ve done a great service to myself  _ and _ our people, King-slayer.”

The Demon gently placed his palms on Seth’s sword, pushing it back down to Seth. Seth looked up, and saw Finn’s eyes, the blue-grey standing out stark against the black and red on his skin. 

“Thank you, Seth.”

\---

A week later, and everyone had adjusted well to the change. No one had really liked the king much, and the oldest members of the town all corroborated Finn’s story. They remembered his parents, and how things used to be. At least, the ones that hadn’t been killed by the king remembered. 

The mass grave was uncovered, and some of the bodies were identified, mostly by their clothes and what was on them, and Seth brought the bodies of his parents and aunt and uncle home. Bayley had hugged him tight, and Roman and Dean had helped him dig the graves. Finn had blessed them, and Seth was happy to not be alone during the process. It wasn’t easy, burying his family, but they were home, on their land, where they were meant to be. And he truly wasn’t alone; Jason was there, Bayley, of course, but Roman and Dean and Finn had all stuck by his side. 

He was a little surprised at that, moreso with Roman and Dean. He hadn’t expected the friendship to bloom between himself and the two Folk, but it had, and it was already an unbreakable bond. They were good guys, though Dean didn’t get along with the cat in Seth’s house. 

But that was more funny, than anything.

Seth and Finn had only grown closer. Finn was always Finn, now. He explained that with the king dead by the Demon’s champion’s hand, the curse was broken. He could return, and while he could call up the Demon when needed, he seemed happy to just be Finn again. Seth had spent almost every night with him, though they hadn’t moved forward in their relationship quite yet. Finn wanted to be coronated first, and Seth knew that was important to him. 

Seth looked in the mirror. He was dressed in all white, a military dress uniform. He liked that it left his arms uncovered, and he could keep his sword with him during the ceremony. He turned at the sound of a knock on the door. Bayley, Jason, Roman, and Dean all poked their heads in, and Seth laughed. 

“Hey, guys.”

Bayley ran towards him, wrapping her arms around him. She was in a fine purple dress, a gift from Roman and Dean. Seth knew he didn’t have to fear the usual Folk tricks from them...most of the time, at least. Jason whistled and looked Seth over, while Roman and Dean stood, holding each other. They almost always touched each other, like they couldn’t bear to stop for more than a minute. 

“You look amazing, dude. I can’t believe you’re a knight now. Like a for-real knight.”

Seth sat on the bed, Bayley kneeling behind him and brushing his hair, trying to get it under control before the ceremony. 

“I know. It’s….it almost doesn’t feel real.”

“So when’s the royal wedding?”

Seth rolled his eyes at Dean. 

“We haven’t even-we’re not there yet. Chill.”

“Oh, he’s just messing with you. Dean is a sucker for weddings.”

“Hush, Ro, you love them too!”

“I never said I didn’t, you’re the one who always tries to deny it.”

Dean stuck his tongue out at Roman, and the bigger Folk pinched Dean’s side. Seth relaxed as Bayley worked his hair into a braid. He’d always liked that, when she would insist on fixing his hair. Even when they were younger, she always had him sit down so that she could do it, and he’d always sat patiently, even as an annoying teenager. 

He talked with his friends until it was time, and Bayley and Jason ran off to find their place at the front of the crowd. Roman and Dean walked beside him, hand in hand, as usual. They came to the grand doors to the throne room, and Seth felt a hand on his shoulder. Roman squeezed his shoulder, and smiled at him. 

“Thank you. I know I’ve said it before, but….thank you. You and Finn saved us.”

Dean reached out and squeezed Seth’s hand. 

“It means a lot to us. To us and the Folk. You’ll both have all of us on your side, for as long as you want us.”

Seth knew the Folk owing you a debt of gratitude was….a rather substantial thing. Roman and Dean had told their story and it had only convinced Seth even more that he did the right thing. 

A trumpet sounded. Roman and Dean moved to stand behind Seth, and the doors opened. 

He made his way down the aisle, his friends right behind him. Finn would be entering next, and Seth was very, very excited to see him. He, Roman, and Dean all took their place at the altar that had been set up in front of the throne. The prince and the princess-well, a duke and duchess, now, Seth had thought that was sweet of Finn-were there, to officially abdicate their family’s claim to the throne. They’d agreed willingly, and Finn had agreed to keep them on as a sort of advisory team. There was a holy man, too, to officiate everything. 

The trumpet sounded again, and doors opened once more. Seth felt his breath leave him when he saw Finn. 

His clothing wasn’t opulent, not like the last king; it was without jewels, and his clothes were all white, much like Seth’s, but with a long, blue royal cloak trailing behind him. He made his way confidently to the altar, smiling at the people gathered around. He’d opened the castle to the entire town, and that alone had been a sure sign of what was to come in his reign. 

Finn smiled brightly at Seth before kneeling at the altar. The holy man blessed him, and asked him his vows. Finn answered honestly, quickly, happily, and the holy man placed the crown-a bright metal, almost glowing, upon his head, and Finn stood, turning and smiling again at the crowd. They were all applauding him, and Seth couldn’t help but feel his heart swell at the sight of Finn being adored. 

He deserved it.

Finn stood at the throne-a new one, that had been made for him-and gestured for Seth, Roman, and Dean to come forward. Seth handed him his sword, and Finn took it, very gently. Roman and Dean stood forward first. 

“Dean, Roman. You were trapped for many years by my predecessor. You are free now, but if you wish, I’d love to have you as my knights. The Folk and I have always been close, and it’s vital that we keep that relationship. It’s your choice, my friends.”

Roman and Dean held hands and looked at each other, talking without words, and they nodded. 

“We’d love to.”

“Please, kneel.”

Finn went through the vows for them, and they both accepted readily, standing and embracing when they were finished. Seth stepped up, and Finn blushed. They both stared at each other for a moment before laughing, and Seth kneeled. He looked up at Finn, and felt the same swelling feeling that he did when he saw Finn walking in. He exhaled softly, and wanted to kiss Finn terribly badly. 

“Seth Rollins. The King-slayer. Champion of the Demon. Do you swear to uphold justice for all of the people in this kingdom and beyond?”

“I do.”

“Do you promise to do what is right, no matter the cost to yourself?”

“I do.”

“I hereby declare you a knight of this kingdom. You and your fellow knights will be the shield that protects our people.”

Finn cupped Seth’s cheek, and Seth looked up at him. Finn leaned down, pressing the softest, shortest kiss to his lips, before stepping back. Seth was a little breathless, and he took Finn’s hand when he held it out. He stood and smiled at Finn, knowing he probably looked a little love-struck. Finn blushed and shrugged. 

“Couldn’t help myself.”

“Neither can I.”

Seth cupped Finn’s face in both hands and pulled him close, pressing his lips to Finn’s, hard, kissing him deeply. There were a few whistles from the crowd-Dean yelling ‘get some’ was probably a little inappropriate, but Seth smiled against Finn’s lips and felt his king smile, too. They broke apart, and turned to face the applauding crowd. 

\---

And they all lived happily ever after. 


End file.
